Your Guide to the Perfect Weekend: Sept. 29–30, 2017

A lineup of the weekend’s best events.

By Marisa Heung

Published: 2017.09.27 12:28 PM

Beer, basketball, bites … this weekend has all three, and lots of them. Have a few pints at a two-day German fest in Kaka‘ako, or order discounted bottles and mourn the (temporary) closing of a beloved Ward gastropub. Plus, head to a fan fest at the Hawai‘i Convention Center for a chance to meet the L.A. Clippers in person. And celebrate your favorite restaurants at Insta-popular Hawai‘i’s Best Kitchens’ inaugural foodie event, featuring 14 top restaurants as voted by its 100,000 followers.

PHOTO: courtesy of Herringbone Waikīkī

The Best of Hawai‘i’s Best Kitchens 2017

Saturday, Sept. 30, 5 to 10 p.m.

How many followers does it take to be certified Insta-famous? It’s safe to say Hawai‘i’s Best Kitchens (@hawaiibestkitchens), curator of drool-worthy food pics, has hit an Instagram milestone at 100,000 followers. The brand celebrates in style this Saturday with the inaugural Best of Hawai‘i’s Best Kitchens, taking place on the Hyatt Regency Waikīkī pool deck. The bash will feature top restaurant picks in 14 categories including best Italian, best burgers, best seafood and best desserts, as voted by its followers in an Instagram survey taken earlier this year. Drinks, including beers from San Diego-based Saint Archer Brewing Co. and Ciroc’s brand-new French vanilla vodka, will be available for enjoyment alongside your bites. With tickets priced at just under 50 bucks, this is your perfect chance to enjoy your favorite restaurants, or discover new ones, at a steal.

L.A. Clippers Hawai‘i Classic Fan Fest

Saturday, Sept. 30, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If you didn’t score tickets to the L.A. Clippers’ two upcoming games, there’s still a chance to meet some of its legendary basketball stars at the L.A. Clippers Hawai‘i Classic Fan Fest, this Saturday at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. Best of all? It’s free! Presented by Kaiser Permanente, Fan Fest is part meet-and-greet, part health expo and part family event, with games, food, crafts and a basketball skills workshop, plus opportunities for autographs and photos with the team. Don’t forget to stop by the Kaiser Permanente booth to learn about healthy living and score some free stuff.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Frolic Hawai‘i

Eat the Street: Fourth Annual Honolulu Oktoberfest

Friday, Sept. 29, 4 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 30, 2 to 9 p.m.

If post-work-week fatigue has made you miss the past few Eat the Street events, we get it. By the time 5 p.m. rolls around on Friday, the only scenario we want to be in involves our couch, ice-cold beer and watching Anthony Bourdain eat the world’s weirdest dishes. But this month, you can have your beer and drink it, too, as Eat the Street celebrates its fourth annual Honolulu Oktoberfest with a two-day event full of food, live entertainment and, of course, beer. Friday will be Eat the Street’s typical family-friendly, food-focused event, with vendors serving German and local dishes, and a beer garden with 11 beers to choose from. Saturday, however, is for the grownups, offering less food and lots more brews—21, to be exact. For those 21 and older, Eat the Street is offering a limited-edition, 17-ounce glass stein for $40, which gets you access to the beer garden’s VIP section and one free refill. The more you drink, the more you save: Your glass stein will get you 5 ounces of extra beer for the same price, and you can use it again and again on both days.

Real a Gastropub’s Last Day

Saturday, Sept. 30

We’ve been in denial, but now there’s no ignoring that, come Sunday, Real a Gastropub, along with next-door neighbor Marukai Market Place, will officially close. But it’s not all bad for Real: The gastropub plans to reopen in Kaka‘ako early next year, with a bigger space and in-house brewery. In the meantime, Real is clearing out its inventory and offering patrons a 20 percent off its entire collection of beer bottles now through Saturday night. Afterward, stop by Marukai for even more discounted goods—or just to say a final, tearful goodbye.